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Board approves private placements for special‑education students as administrators say district lacks in‑district placements
Summary
The board approved contracts to place several students in private special‑education schools after administrators said district capacity and student needs require out‑of‑district placements; trustees voted to approve the contracts, and discussion flagged rising costs and ongoing planning to examine in‑district options.
The Canal Winchester Board of Education voted May 12 to approve private‑tuition contracts for students whose needs the district said it cannot meet in‑house. The contracts cover placements at specialized providers including New Story Schools, The Learning Spectrum, Boundless and Bridgeway Academy for the 2025 school year.
Superintendent and administrative staff told the board that the students recommended for placement require services and settings the district cannot currently provide. A district administrator summarized the rationale: “This is the student we are not able to meet the students' needs,” (staff member, administrative remarks). The motion passed, with the roll call showing four board members voting yes and one board member voting no.
Why it matters: private placements carry substantial costs and can affect district special‑education expenditures and transportation planning. During the discussion administrators said contracted tuition for the coming year for the listed placements totals roughly $630,000 for nine students; transportation and high per‑student staffing needs drive costs for placements outside district facilities.
Board discussion and votes: trustees discussed the expense and whether the district can create in‑district options to reduce out‑placements. One board member noted the district receives catastrophic‑cost reimbursement for some placements and said staff will analyze whether retaining more students in‑district would be feasible long term. The motion to approve the contracts carried on a roll call recorded in the meeting (Yes: Mister Twist; Missus Talley; Mister George; Miss Green. No: Miss Barnes).
Next steps: administrators said they will continue studying whether facilities and program changes (for example, behavior units or autism units) could reduce reliance on outside placements and lower transportation and tuition costs. The approved contracts were for the 2025 school year; the district indicated planning work to determine whether some students might be brought back if in‑district capacity can be expanded.
